EU project to provide a better overview of the condition of roads and bridges

In a newly established three-year EU project coordinated by VTI, researchers are working to find new ways to measure and describe the condition of roads and bridges for the planning of maintenance. By creating a better overview of the condition and the degradation of the infrastructure, management systems will become more efficient.

– There is unutilized potential in the measurements of the conditions of roads and bridges. Data collected during these measurements could provide new dimensions which would make it easier to make decisions on the right action at the right time, says Robert Karlsson, Senior Reserch Leader at VTI and project coordinator.

The project TRIMM, Tomorrow's Road Infrastructure Monitoring and Management, was initiated by FEHRL, Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories, and forms a part of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme. The project will allow researchers to study measurements of bridges and roads and management systems.

Real-time monitoring of the road network

One of the many areas that will be addressed is how to take advantage of the logged information from individual vehicles.

– Current measurement methods are based on measurements, that at best, are made annually. By making use of the sensors in ordinary vehicles, it should however be possible to produce real-time monitoring of the road network.

Other measurements relevant to roads are related to the characterization of puddles and the risks involved, measurements of the condition of road equipment and the assessment of cracks, resistance and bearing capacity. For measurements on bridges, acoustical methods, methods for 3D inspection and methods for corrosion assessment will be examined.

Facilitating decisions regarding maintenance

The aim of the new measures is to give users a good service and to make it possible for those responsible for the maintenance of the roads to make long-term and sensible decisions on how maintenance should be optimized. Current measurements of the road network only contain limited information which makes great demands on experience and commitment of those involved in the planning of the maintenance.

Research funds for the project in total amount to SEK 30 million, about SEK 6 million for VTI. The project consortium is two-thirds composed of partners who are active in ERA-NET Road where current knowledge and work practices are compiled for a number of European countries. The remaining third are smaller companies that are leading in Europe in the field of measurement. The project will last until the autumn of 2014.

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